Improvement in soles of rubber boots and shoes



atei-tt @with FREDERIGK M, sentano, oF rNew YORK, Y.

Letters Patent No. 100,678, dated. March, 1870.

l e nvnmtw*mariana* IN soLEs or' RUBBER eoo'rs AND SHOES.

The` Schedule referred te in these Lettera Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M SHEPARD, of `the city, county, and Stateof New York, have inscription thereof, reference being had to the accom.pauying drawings making part of this specification, in

whiche Figure lis a longitudinal sectionof the sole of aboot on myimproved plan;

Figure 2, a cross-section of the same; and e 11ignre3,a separate viewofthe pertbrated metallic platefwhich makes part of the sole,

The saine letters indicate like parts in all the figures. 1

The object of my said inventionA is to render the India-rubbersoles'oflndia-rubber boots and shoes more rigid than'when `made of Indiarubber alone. This is important, as such boots are usually employed byy.persons wl1o,in their business, are often required to walk on roughsurfaces, and to perform duties, such as forcing a spade into` theearth, requiring a more rigid sole than can be made of India rubberalone; and to this end, v

My said invention consists in combining with a VulcanizedIndia-rubbeijsole for a boot or shoe, `a perforated metal plateinterposed between two layers of India rubber, .so that the surfaces ofthe two layers e shall become nnitedin the apertures or meshes, and

around the edge of the metallic plate, while in the green or plasticstate, and become permanently united by the process of vulcanization.

` In-the accompanying drawings.- v a represents a metallic plate, bypreference made of sheetiron, of a form and length suiicient to extendfrom the heel to within a short distance of the toe, and a littlenarrower than the intended sole.

Square or `other-formed holes, b, are made in the said plate at givendistances apart.

\Vhile the India rubber intended for the sole is yet in what is known asthe green or plastic state, and before the outer. layer, c, of the soleis put on, the metal plate e is applied to the surface ofthe main partd, and `then the outer layer c is applied, taking care, by suitablepressure, to cause the two surfaces of India rubber'to unite around theedges, and in the apertures 'ofthe plate. After this, the rubber isvulcanized.

The soie of a boot or shoe thus made will be more rigid, and hencebetter suited for many purposes than if made of India rubber alone;

What I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isw g Avulcanized India-rubber sole for boots. or shoes, strengthened by aperforated metallic plate interposed between the inner and outer layersbefore vulcanizing, and secured substantially in the manner set forth.

FREDERICK M. SHEPARD. Witnesses:

WM. H.-B1sHoP, ALnxfB. BISHOP.

